Ultra Runners

10 weeks until 50 mile race (Read 297 times)

Hi everyone,
I signed up for a 50 on March 1st. But since I ran the Tucson Marathon 3 weeks ago, I've really dropped my mileage. I have 3 friends who I'm training with for this race and they like to do the back to back training days.
I'm wondering a couple of things though...
(1) Have I taken too much time off already to be able to ready for a 50 miler in 10 weeks?
(2) What should I work my weekly mileage up to in order to be able to finish? I was thinking that starting out at 50 miles and working to 80 miles will be needed. But maybe time is a better judge?
(3) Is it better to do back to back long runs or is one really long run per week good enough?
I've seriously debated backing out of this race because of the time involved. (I have kids and am in school.) But I don't want to let myself down. I'm desperately trying to figure out how my schedule can accommodate the best and most efficient training schedule, while still allowing me to finish alive.
If anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it.
Lynn, I'm about to look at your log to get a sense of what you do too. I'll have to find one of your last 50 mile races first though.
Rebecca

I like back-to-back workouts but I can't always fit them in. I've done most of my 50s without back-to-backs and I was fine. I try to do a 20-30 mile workout each weekend (not lately - I've been rebuilding my based after taking time off from ultras), but as I just looked back at my log I realized that my training was not that consistent before my races.
I don't think weekly mileage is as important as that long run each week. If I were you I would spend the next 7 weeks focusing on the weekend long run and just do some basic training during the week. I would start with about a 20 miler and then build up to something in the low- to mid-30s. Then a 2-3 week taper, then your race.
I think you can do it! Let us know how it goes.

Thanks MBK! I'm going to map out my next 10 weeks and see if I can come up with a training plan that will work. The only other thing I'm debating is whether more miles on flat ground is better than less miles and more time on steeper mountain trails. My friends went running on the trails yesterday for 3 hours, but the total distance was only about 13 miles. That freaks me out a bit since this is a 50 miler. I sure hope the actual race is not as steep as the mountains where we run.

Hey rroush,
I've forgotten, is this Old Pueblo? FWIW, I have heard from a friend who has run it that it has LOTS of hills, so I would emphasize hills, hills, hills, and time on your feet, over raw mileage on flats. Plus I've heard that back-to-backs are excellent training. I haven't done more than 54k but that's the consensus opinion for a hilly 50 miler.
You can do this. Good luck, and keep us posted.

"Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"

"To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain

"The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.

Perfessor, I was afraid of that. This is what my friends have told me too. We've started training in the McDowell Mountains up in the Phx area. But I've missed the last 2 weekends of training. I'm quite fearful of the whole thing. I guess I have about 3-4 weeks to see how my training goes before having to really make a decision. Maybe I should have signed up for a less challenging race for my first ever ultra, eh?

Yes, get on the hills / mountains if the race itself has them also. And what I do is tough out my training runs for a few months wearing a 20 lb backpack loaded with water and gear so that when it comes time for the race it seems easier than my training runs - hypergravity training. I also wear a 20 lb SmartVest weight vest my work clothes and at home for about 12 hour per day so my body has acclimated to the heavier weight and "feel" lighter / stronger for the actual race itself.

Wow! A 20 lb backpack? That is hardcore! How do you run with a 20 lb backpack? That's a interesting idea to wear the vest to build up strength too. I sometimes still carry my 50 lb daughter on my back and when I put her down I feel light as air!